Cancer of the neuroendocrine system is a moving target with managed treatment aimed at palliative care rather than a cure. Patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) may experience fewer symptoms and survive longer by undergoing peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) combined with a drug that makes tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy, say researchers presenting at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

The Canadian study evaluated lutetium-177 (177Lu)-octreotate PRRT, which has been found effective for slowing the growth of malignant peptide-receptor positive NETs. The challenge is that damaged cells can naturally repair their DNA, which limits the effectiveness of PRRT. By blocking a protein called poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, or PARP, scientists can effectively override this process and induce more cell death -- the objective being fewer and smaller tumors and longer lives for neuroendocrine cancer patients.